“The Sentella helping you?”
“They offered me a position with them. I’m not interested in that. All I took was the clothes on my back and the ship, which I intend to return once this is over—provided I don’t die. My mistress is Vengeance, and she’s the only one I’m cuddling up to for now.”
He knew if anyone could relate, Jullien definitely understood the sentiment. “I’ll get you a copy of the database. Is there anything else you need?”
“No. Just the files on the family. Once I have those dossiers, I’ll be out of your hair. Sorry I dropped in unannounced.” His gaze went to Ushara’s distended belly. “Congrats, by the way. I didn’t realize you had another one on the way. Is Vasili excited, or afraid of having more spiders he has to hide his things from?”
As soon as the question was out of his mouth, Bastien caught the startled look from Jullien as he remembered that theyhadtold him about the baby.
Damn. How could he have forgotten that? But then when you lived a life where the vast majority of your conversations took place with imaginary people in your head, you tended to forget what was real, what was memories, and what you fabricated to keep yourself from going bat-shit crazy. There were some of them so real, that he swore they’d happened, only to learn that it was nothing more than his mind struggling to make sense of his forced isolation.
Ushara gaped. “You know Vas?”
“He’s made a few stops with his father on my rock to drop off food and ammo.”
She tsked at Jullien. “Someone’s been keeping secret missions from me.”
“Only to protect Bastien. I didn’t want any logs of that particular landing, or anyone wondering why we kept going to the desert for no apparent reason. Just in case.”
And that was why he loved and trusted his cousin.
“Makes sense.” She smiled at Bastien. “Why don’t you stay for dinner, then? Meet the girls and say hi to Vasili? I’m sure he’d love to see you.”
Bastien would love to as well, but… he looked to Jullien. His cousin was nothing if not a private beast. “I don’t want to intrude.”
“Just don’t flush my head down the toilet, and we’re good.”
Bastien burst out laughing at the mention of what Lil used to do to Jullien when they were kids and she’d get aggravated at him. “Gah! You think you had it bad? I was the one who lived with her.AndQuin. Plus, she ended up as my wingman. How the hell I survived my childhood without being drowned, I do not know. Can you imagine how much better a human I’d be if I hadn’t suffered severe oxygen dep and brain trauma as a child?”
Trajen laughed, then spoke to Jullien. “I see now why you like him.” He held his hand out to Bastien. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Bas. I’ve got a lot of things I need to take care of, so I’m heading out, but I’ll make sure and clear you for any future visits you want to make here. Consider yourself welcome anytime. I know Jules would appreciate having some family around who doesn’t want to hang him or screw him over.”
Yeah… he wasn’t the only one.
As Trajen left with Ushara, Jullien led Bastien through their bay and to the residential area of their base.
Bastien glanced back over his shoulder. “You’re a lucky male, Jullien.”
“Believe me, I know. I’d be dead had she not saved my life… in more ways than one.” He paused to glance sideways at Bastien. “How’s my brother?”
“Good. Aside from the stress of the war, but he hides that well.” Bastien noticed that he didn’t ask after his parents—both of whom had been on Bastien’s rescue flight when Nykyrian had picked him up on Oksana. “I saw your father.”
Jullien’s stralen eyes darkened. “Couldn’t care less.”
“Yeah, don’t blame you there. No love lost here for him, either. He didn’t have much to say to me that bears repeating.”
“Sorry.”
Bastien shrugged. “As you once said, we black sheep need to stick together.”
As soon as Jullien opened the door to his condo, an ear-splitting shriek sounded.
“Paka’s home!”
Two small, dark-headed blurs came running to assault Jullien. One launched herself into his arms while the other latched onto his leg and squeezed it tight. Laughing, Jullien held his twin daughters. He kissed the cheek of the one in his arms. “Viv, meet your cousin Bastien.”
“Hi, Bastien!”
“Nice meeting you, Viv.”
